Foyt Family Wines Anniversary Edition No. 61 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious one from Mount Veeder.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, sweet plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, espresso, cola, light herbs, earth, chocolates, tobacco, spices and peppercorn.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and fruit forward, with black fruits, chocolates, cedar, light vanilla, tobacco, coffee, peppercorn and herbs.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon from the great 2016 vintage. Already drinking very nicely, even right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours in the decanter.

Showing nice complexity with a great, spicy mouthfeel.

I had it over a year ago, and it is drinking even better now. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Good by itself or with food, and will pair nicely with BBQ Meats. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$125.

Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Napa Valley, California

Dark ruby in color with a brick rim.

Beautiful nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, mint, espresso, earth, spices, black pepper, light vegetables, eucalyptus and pencil lead.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, black plums, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, spices, tobacco leaf, chocolates, coffee, green olives, peppercorn, earth, black tea, light vegetables and herbs.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 13 year old Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking very nicely now, although still young.

Gentle, elegant and tasty. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Nicely balanced with lots of fruits.

Tastes very much like a good quality left bank Bordeaux. Loved the nose here.


Will continue age nicely in the next 15 years. Would be nice to revisit it again in 5 years, as I see it becoming even better.

This Single Vineyard is a delicious wine that needs time to open up properly. I gave it 4 hours in the decanter.

Robert Parker 96 points.

Thank you Sonny for sharing this with me.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good with food. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

15.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$600 (current vintage).

Hawk and Horse Vineyards Red Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Lake County, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix.  Here is a nice one from Red Hills.

Dark purple in color with a purplish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, raspberries, black plums, oak, light vanilla, licorice, herbs, tobacco leaf, earth, spices, chocolates, dark coffee and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, black currants, oak, tobacco, licorice, peppercorn, coffee, cinnamon, earth, spices, light vegetables and herbs.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County in California. Fruit forward with lots of coffee and chocolates notes.

Needs a few hours of airtime to open up, but drinkable right out of the bottle too. Big tannins come out after a couple of hours of air.

Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel, but still very young, and needs five years in the bottle to mature properly. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years. Will age nicely in the next 10 years.

I had the 2017 vintage a year ago and it is very consistent.

Easy drinking and good by itself or with food. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$75.

Twin Suns Merwin Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, Lodi, California

Purple in color with medium intensity.

Fruity nose of raspberries, sweet cherries, spices, red candy and light black pepper.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with cherries, milk chocolates, raspberries, spices, light earth, wood and peppercorn.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice and easy drinking Pinot Noir from Lodi. Fruit forward with a soft mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 20 minutes of airtime.

A nice porch wine. I had it all by itself by the lake.

100% Pinot Noir grapes. Kosher and Mevushal.

14.4% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$15.

Six Eight Nine Cellars killer Drop 2019, California

Dark ruby in color with a purplish rim.

Sweet nose of blackberries, raisins, dried fruits, candied cherries, chocolates, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices and tobacco.

Full bodied and jammy, with medium minus acidity and long legs.

Dry to off dry on the palate with blackberries, raisins, oak, vanilla, toast, tobacco, chocolates, mocha, coffee, black pepper and dried figs.

Nice finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a fun red blend from California. Easy drinking and rich. Fruit forward and extracted. A great party wine.

Feels like an Orin Swift kind of wine, and might need a few years in the bottle to relax a bit.

Good right out of the bottle and good by itself. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah. Aged in French oak barrels for 10 months (30% new).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$25.

Checkerboard Vineyards Napa Valley Red 2010, California

Another delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from a Single Vineyard in Napa Valley.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity.

Showing black fruits with tobacco, chocolates, coffee, vanilla, cedar, licorice, spices and peppercorn.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with a long finish and round tannins.

Showing great complexity and mouthfeel. Rich, yet elegant and fruit forward.

Good right out of the bottle and probably better with airtime, but I didn’t have that luxury, as the bottle finished right away.

Thank you Barry for sharing this with me.

Good by itself, and does not need any food, but will pair very nicely with a big piece of steak.

This Magnum will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1%Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Grapes are grown at 1,200 feet of elevation, and were aged in oak barrels for 26 months. A small production of only 250 cases.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$800 (Magnum).

Titus Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 2019, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a tasty Cabernet Franc from Napa.

Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose of black plums, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco leaf, chocolates, coffee, light bell pepper, peppercorn, earth and light vegetables.

Full bodied, elegant and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, coffee, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, peppercorn, earth, black tea and vegetables.

Nice length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley is starting to drink nicely now.

Showing a nice mouthfeel, with nice complexity and good balance.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime, but it really needs longer than that.

This 3 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years, and see how it evolved.

Has good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

Good by itself and better with food. Will pair nicely with lamb dishes. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 86% Cabernet Franc,
7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7%
Malbec. Aged in (65% new) French oak barrels for 20 months. 

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$53.

Barra of Mendocino Petite Sirah 2019, Mendocino, California

Inky in color with a short purple rim.

Strong fruity nose of black currants, plums, cooked cherries, dried fruits, light oak, spices, chocolates, coffee, licorice and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, milk chocolates, coffee, cola and peppercorn.

Nice finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a nice and easy drinking Petite Sirah from Mendocino County.

Nicely balanced, rich and fruit forward. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better after an hour of airtime.

Still young, and would be better in a few years. Will be nice to revisit it in a couple of years, and see how it evolved.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good with BBQ Meats.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$26.

Heitz Wine Cellars Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1987, Napa Valley, California

Dark ruby in color with a brick rim.

Soft nose of red and black fruits, wet leaves, herbs, black pepper, must, tobacco leaf, earth, light wood and dark coffee.

Medium plus in body, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, plums, cherries, light oak, licorice, spices, coffee, earth, cola, light vegetables, herbs, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from the very famous Martha’s Vineyard in
Napa Valley.

This 35 year old is drinking very nicely now. Nice to see how it held up.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Elegant and tasty. Showing nice complexity at this point.

A little muted right out of the bottle, and needed a few minutes to open up. Even better after an hour of airtime.

Thank you John for sharing this with me.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a pizza with prosciutto and arugula. Delish.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$450.

Shirah Wine Company Twin Suns Reserve Zinfandel 2019, Santa Ynez Valley, California

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, chocolates, tobacco, light oak, spices, licorice, peppercorn and coffee.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and fat legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with black cherries, plums, black currants, oak, coffee, vanilla, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs and peppercorn.

Nice length on the spicy finish, with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Zinfandel from Santa Ynez Valley. A good sipping wine. Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and gets better after an hour.

Alcohol is there, but not as apparent as I expected it to be. Spicy and easy drinking.

Will be interesting to try it again in 3 years.

Aged for 15 months in (25% new) French oak barrels. Kosher and not Mevushal.

15% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$30.